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Medical assistants (MA) are medical workers who support the work of doctors by performing clinical and administrative duties on their behalf. The tasks they engage in include such things as taking and recording patients' vital signs, administering medications, handling and preparing medical instruments, collecting specimens for testing, and entries and updates to electronic record-keeping systems.

The education to obtain a position as a medical assistant usually takes place in such institutions as community college, junior college, vocational school, technical school, career colleges or through online programs. If the student wishes to become certified or registered, the institution's medical assistant program must be accredited. The two governing bodies by which such intuitions must be accredited in the United States are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.

After schooling, the graduate may seek to become certified. Certification is a voluntary step, albeit one that is strongly encouraged by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). Many healthcare employers list certification as a job requirement and it guarantees that a candidate will be competent at the job.

There are four main establishments in the United States that can certify medical assistants. The AAMA offers their CMA (AAMA) exam, and those who pass earn the title CMA (AAMA) which must be re-certified every 60 months. The American Medical Technologists (AMT) organization offers an exam a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) exam. Passing it earns the Registered Medical Assistant title. The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) also certifies MAs; one can become a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) through their exam. Finally, one may become a National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) by testing with the National Center for Competency Testing. It is also possible to become certified in a specialty field such as phlebotomy or podiatry.

The average medical assistant in the United States earns an average salary of just over $29,500. With experience and additional training, a medical assistant may advance into other positions. One may go on to teach medical assisting, or perhaps continue their training and become a nurse or move into another healthcare field.

The job outlook for trained, certified medical assistants should be excellent as medical assistant is projected to be one of the fastest growing jobs of the next decade.

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